Accounts of how prisoners in some of Her Majesty’s Prisons have been able to threaten victims families using Face-Book have come to light during the past week. It begs the question, how is this possible?

The answer is not as complicated as you may think. Britain has gradually become softer on criminals since the abolition of hanging in 1964. Various ‘Human Rights’ and Liberal ‘Civil Liberties’ Groups have steadily degraded the prison system to the extent it has become a chain of five star hotels, where the only punishment served by criminals is a temporary restriction on their liberty. Criminals live in better conditions than the majority of those serving their country in the armed forces.

A criminal, even a murderer, does not serve a suitable punishment for his crime anymore. No longer are they locked away so as to pose no further threat to society. Liberal minded Parole Boards regularly allow hardened felons to be released for days at a time before their prison term has been served ‘to help them integrate back into society‘. Most go straight back to their old ways, and many commit fresh offences even while on these Day Releases.

Killers, pedophiles, rapists, robbers, drug barons and their ilk are looked after in better conditions that the average working-class family in our society. They have all the amenities that many families can only dream about. Food, shelter, clothing, TV (with satellite), games rooms, exercise equipment, library, education, cinema, the list goes on and on. They even went so far as to put curtains on cell windows so the prisoners could not be ‘traumatised’ by the sight of the bars. All this is provided by the tax payer as a punishment for crimes committed against tax payers!

Our prisons are rife with drugs to the extent that if you never took them in your life, you soon will once you get behind bars. Gang Lords rule the prison population with an iron fist, to the extent the prison warders are nothing more than lackeys in their service. If you ask the one bald question: “Who runs the prisons, the answer must be; The prisoners!

It is high time the Wardens and Governors took back control of our prisons and measures were introduced to make it more like a system of punishment. Strict regimes, prison uniforms, hard work and no TV or games rooms. No contact between visitors and prisoners as in the States which should help reduce the amount of drugs in prison. Warders who ‘work’ for the prisoners by bringing in illicit materials get an immediate six month sentence themselves. This should help stamp out the corruption among prison staff.

Gone in an avalanche of ‘Civil Rights’ campaigning is the strict prison regime that made many a criminal ‘go straight’ for fear of ending back ‘inside’. Criminals do not fear a prison sentence anymore for the simple reason its like a holiday camp.

This is borne out by the steadily increasing crime rate over the past forty years to the extent that the prisons are so overcrowded, Judges have been ordered to reduce custodial sentencing in favour of more community sentencing i.e. ASBO’s etc.

‘Life’ imprisonment now means seven years and not life as the word implies. Even those who get a so-called ‘life’ sentences are often out in five years or less, thanks to the ‘Barmy Do-Gooders’ who think they have ‘learnt their lesson’.

It is sickening to read in the newspapers that a killer or pedophile just released for ‘good behaviour’ after serving a paltry four years of a ‘life’ sentence has struck again within weeks of release. Prisons today are nothing more than ‘Crime Academy’s’ where the not so good criminals get an education on how to ply there trade better.

There is today a major imbalance in sentencing too. If you kill someone in cold blood you will get a lower sentence than if you take part in an assisted suicide for a loved one who is suffering terribly from an incurable disease. Justice is no longer just blind, it is suffering a terminal illness itself.

The subject of youth criminality is nowadays on everyone’s lips as the rate of major crime committed by children as young as eight or nine-years-old escalates out of all proportion. The majority of children who commit murder, and even torture victims in a ninety minute orgy of sadistic savagery as with the Edlington case two weeks ago, can expect no more than three years detention before being released with a new identity to protect them. The question is; How far down this road will we go before Law and Order breaks down completely?

It is time for politicians to stand up and be counted in the fight against crime, for we are losing the battle at an ever increasing rate. The government, from whichever party, must have the guts to stand up to the ‘limp wristed’ Brigade of ‘Do-Gooders’ and start clamping down on sentencing and prison conditions before we all drown in a cesspit of our own making.

It is long past time we got back to justice and prison regimes reminiscent of the 1950’s where criminals feared going back inside. Only by making our prison system a thing to be frightened of, and sentencing that fits the crime, can we hope to get back any form of decency in our society.

In my opinion, though many will disagree, there is a good case for reintroduction of the death penalty into our system of law. In my view, if you are a terrorist, kill in cold blood, commit pre-meditated rape, sodomise a child or invade someone else’s property with the intent of stealing, you forfeit your human rights.

Much was made of mistakes during the years when hanging was legal, which contributed to the removal of this punishment, but today we have far better methods of detection, and forensic science has advanced to the point that being able to pin-point the culprit is no longer a lottery. You will note that the words ‘in cold blood’ were italicised in the previous paragraph. This was done intentionally to indicate that hanging should be considered only in those cases where the crime was pre-meditated.

Pedophiles who commit a second offence should be castrated without the right of appeal, for it is only in that way we can be sure they will never strike again. How much longer must we allow our children to be brutalised by these perverts before we say; ‘Enough is enough’!

It is for sure that we cannot continue with the ‘softly softly’ approach to crime and expect to stamp it out. Our society needs the rule of law to be strong so that it puts an end to the reign of terror on our streets and in our homes.

Part of the problem these days is that no-one wants to get involved. So long as it doesn’t affect you personally, why should you bother? As a society, we have become so insulated within ourselves that we have no stomach for taking action for the good of all. Everyone sympathises with a mother who just had her ten-year-old knifed to death on the street in full view of many, but are we prepared to actually do something to stop this in the future?

The simple answer is; NO! We do not have the guts to stand up to these idiots who think they know what is best for the criminals and our society in general. Well, it is time, for time is running out for the reassertion of law and order on our streets. Only the people can change things by demanding their politicians take action before it is too late, and we sink into total anarchy. If, as a people, we take no action on this issue, we will most certainly deserve what the future holds for us.

It’s amazing what some politicians think they can get away with! Now the Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham promises he will cut the number of smokers in Britain by half by the year 2020. He advocates draconian measures to FORCE smokers to quit by clamping down on 200 million illegal cigarette imports, cracking down on cheap cigarettes, banning vending machines, introducing plain packaging, and last but not least, banning smoking in ALL public places, even entrances and walkways, plus in your OWN HOME and CAR. Who the hell does this little Hitler think he is?

Illegal cigarettes I can agree with, while other measures may be accepted, but it will never fly. As an example, imagine you are sitting in your lounge watching the television having a cigarette, when the police come busting in and arrest you for smoking because someone saw you through the window! I don’t think we have gone that far down the road to a police state as yet.

A couple of years ago Romania tried to ban drivers from smoking in cars and it failed for one simple reason, the interior of your car is deemed to be an extension of your home, and no-one has the right to dictate what you may and may not do in your own home. On the basis of Civil and Human Rights the law broke down and could not be imposed.

Are we however to reach the stage where we must hide ourselves away to have a cigarette when people get off scot-free for smoking reefers, hash and the like, which are all banned substances, murder, rape and burglary, but you can go to jail or be fined for smoking a normal cigarette in your own home!

The Anti-Smoking Brigade have become ever-more powerful over the years, and we hear as one of their, and the governments main arguments, the cost to the NHS of treating smoking related diseases. This has in my estimation been over dramatised, but more to the point, by 2020 the NHS will be faced by an even greater crisis that is currently getting bigger year by year (excuse the pun). That of Obesity!

This has reached epidemic proportions in Britain today, and is getting worse year on year. By 2020, experts have warned the cost to the NHS of obesity related sickness, e.g. diabetes and heart problems etc. will far outstrip the current costs of smoking. It is a time-bomb waiting to go off!

I am sure however Andy Burnham will have a ready answer to that. He will just ban eating in all public places, in your own home, and in your car!

I suppose every country has its crazy stories about Loony’s, but Britain seems to have a monopoly recently. Here are some of the latest gems to come from the ‘Green and Pleasant Land’ news columns.

Newcastle Crown Court recently handed down an eight month sentence, suspended for twelve months, to a woman for having noisy sex. The love-making sessions between her and her husband have been heard regularly by her neighbours, passers by on the street, and even the local postman. Caroline Cartwright was given an ASBO (Anti-social Behaviour Order) by the court last April but admitted she broke it almost immediately. Tests carried out in the neighbours apartment have registered sound levels comparable to a loud conversation in the same room. Mrs Cartwright, while apologising for the disruption has admitted she can’t help it. With the court ruling however, she will be abstaining from sexual pleasure for a period of eight months if further complaints are received.

In Nottingham, a man has been fined, twice, for driving at O miles per hour in a 30 mph zone. Outside his house he has a speed camera from the local police, and when someone goes past above the limit, the number plate reading software latches on to his car which is parked just in front of the camera on the side of the road. As he has nowhere else to park he is stuck with the problem. The local police have apologised and say they will look into the problem.

The American Embassy, more commonly known as Macdonalds, has come under fire for a recent advertising campaign in Britain for confusing English slang for a five pence piece with an English pound. The advert, promoting a ‘Pound Saver Menu’ states “An English pound known as a ‘bob’ ” has caused an avalanche of criticism. The reason being, a ‘bob’ is five pence, not a pound as supposed by Macdonalds. Calls have been made for the advertisement to be changed or withdrawn, although some people have been asking to pay only the five pence as advertised. Either way, the company has egg on its face for not doing sufficient research. Their view, incorrect as it may be, is that the ‘bob’ while once referred to as five pence is now used for the pound since Britain went decimal with its currency. At least its free advertising!

Two children’s TV presenters were cautioned under British Anti-Terrorism Laws by police in London for running around in flak jackets and utility belts, carrying among other things, hairdryers and fake walkie-talkie radios. The pair, complete with camera crew, were filming an episode of the children’s TV show ‘Toonattik’ when approached by four of Her Majesty’s Constabulary. The officers gave them a warning under The Act.

And to cap it all, last week the Holiday Inn Hotel Chain began offering its guests human bed warmers! A call to Reception will have a male or female (or both) bed warmer come to your room, clothed in a special suit, who will warm the bed to body temperature before you climb in. I’ve had one for years, I call her the wife! Certainly beats the hell out of a hot water bottle.

Haiti has shown yet again that the world is totally unprepared for natural disasters, and tens of thousands die as a result. One has to ask, of the 150,000 plus people that died, how many could have been saved if the aid had arrived within a day instead of a week?

Throughout the history of man, the world has witnessed a succession of catastrophes from Tsunami’s, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, drought, pandemics and famines that have cost the lives of tens of millions of people across the world. Advances in methods of transportation in the last fifty years now allow aid to be sent to these areas, but it is still extremely slow to reach the victims due to the logistical methods currently employed. Instead of being prepared for the inevitable, we are forced to react after the event.

The various organisations and governments slowly gear up to send supplies and specialists to the scene, but it all takes time before we see ‘feet on the ground’ as it were. Governments promise millions of dollars to the relief effort, but this again takes time to organize. In the meantime, just as in Haiti, the lost souls cry out for aid that will arrive, eventually, but far too late for some.

Disasters, some cataclysmic in nature, have been part of Earth’s history since the planet first formed. It is the way of things. The first such event recorded by science was the disappearance of the dinosaurs, and since then man himself has been struck many times.

The last one hundred years alone has seen ten major earthquakes, three volcanic eruptions, seven hurricanes, cyclones and floods, and nine pandemics and famines, all of which can be classified as major disasters. The cost in human lives of these tragedies is conservatively estimated at 1.7m for earthquakes, 73.000 for volcanic eruptions, 1.5m for hurricanes, cyclones and floods and 74.6m for pandemics (not including AIDS) and famines. The total estimated death toll from these events is almost 78m people, but the true figure will never be known.

Haiti is just another chapter in the long tale of woe and heartbreak suffered by the people of the world when nature strikes back at us. For all the good intentions of people and governments, the citizens of Haiti died waiting for the help promised. So why was the world not better prepared?

It is easy to be wise after the event, and to criticise from the comfort of your fireside chair, but when all is said and done the people did their best within the current system, and worked with the best intentions. I will not criticise the efforts of those who worked to ease the suffering of the Haitian people, but would rather look at what could be done to improve the process of aid to disaster areas.

The UN is often looked to for leadership by many less well-off countries in a crisis such as this, and rightly so, while the richer nations vie to be the first to provide aid and succour to the afflicted.

After a short time the huge aid machine starts into motion as governments and aid agencies begin gathering food, medical supplies and equipment for transportation to the affected area. Charities start the publicity campaigns to raise money for the victims, and governments come forward one by one with promises of cash. It all takes time. Time the desperate people of the affected area do not have. Haiti has amply demonstrated that people were dying for the want of simple things like water. The human body can survive for up to three weeks without food but only a day or two without water, especially in a hot climate like Haiti.

The regularity and severity of natural disasters is increasing decade by decade, and whether this is due to man’s interference in nature is not something I wish to debate here. The important thing is, it’s happening, and we need to be more prepared. So what to do?

Looking logically at what is facing us every few years, and scientific forecasts seem to indicate the time between events will get smaller with time, We need centralised aid and equipment to be ready for shipment anywhere in the world after a single phone call. Yes, I can hear the critics, Impossible!!! But is it?

Why should the UN Council not consult, and decide on strategic locations around the globe for stockpiles of disaster aid equipment, food, water and medical supplies. Many will say, but food and medical supplies have a limited life!!!! True, but what about military rations that stay good for years! Most medical supplies can be kept for a number of years without harm. Usually it is only certain drugs that have a short limited life.

So let us surmise that we have set up these UN Depots around the world in say, Buenos Aries to cover South America, Mexico City to cover Central America, Washington for North America, Berlin for Western Europe, Rhiyad for the Near East……….well, you know what I mean! It would become a network of logistical centres covering the globe, stationed for the most part at military airfields to allow rapid deployment using transport aircraft.

Agreements could be entered into with countries having heavy lift capable aircraft, military or civilian, that can be commandeered by the UN in time of crisis. These agreements would also include the use of military vehicles closest to the disaster area that can be used to distribute the aid once it reaches airfields within a reasonable distance from the area affected. The same would apply for helicopters that are so essential to the distribution of aid in many areas. Specialists in disaster rescue would receive equipment flown in from the nearest logistic centre.

OK! So let us put forward a simulated scenario for Haiti.

At 01.00hrs on January 30th a call is received by the UN Disaster Watch office that a 7.8 earthquake has hit Port-au- Prince in Haiti. The nearest Logistic Centre is The Mexican Air Force Base in Mexico City. A call goes out to the Commandant to activate the relief effort at 01,30hrs. He calls in his Base personnel who begin preparations for dispatch, bearing in mind that food, water and basic medical supplies are already palletised.

In the meantime, the UN office calls the Mexican, Cuban, Venezuelan, Columbian and American Military Command structures for transport aircraft, i.e. the closest countries with military transport aircraft. The manufacturing companies of ‘sensitive drugs’ on the continent are requested to supply previously agreed shipments of essential drugs, which may equal one days production for example. These are trucked to the nearest military airfield for onward shipment to Mexico City, or alternatively, the disaster area. The drugs and quantities required would have previously been decided upon by UN medical experts based on previous incidents and location.

In preparation for the arrival of the aid at the nearest airfield, the UN commanders, under its agreement, order trucks from both the Haitian and Dominican Republic Military which are directed to the airfields. Rescue Specialists and Medical Staff from surrounding countries, military or participating civilians, are directed to report to military airfields where they will be flown to Haiti. Their equipment will come from the Logistic Depot.

The required number of helicopters are requested from Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas, including any suitable civilian craft of load carrying capacity.

It is estimated that the initial aid carrying aircraft from Mexico City could be on the ground within twelve hours. Also within that time period, sufficient trucks and helicopters should have arrived at the airfield to begin inland distribution. As surrounding nations gear up to the crisis, more transport means and supplies will be forthcoming. The rescue and medical teams from the closest countries could be on the ground within that same period.

I am well aware some will think they have found a flaw in this plan, i.e. that of money. So why does the UN not have a Central Disaster Fund that would be used to finance these operations. The Fund could have a target figure of say ten billion dollars that is administered by the UN Disaster Relief Office. The fund would be topped up when it is used. Richer countries line up to give large sums of money after a disaster, but why not pay a lesser amount annually into the central fund? If the will is there, an agreement could be reached whereby all countries donate to the fund each year based on their GDP. This would mean the affluent nations giving more than the poorer ones, but so what, they can afford it.

As soon as a crisis develops, money from the fund is used to compensate donating nations for their expenditure where required, and more important, help rebuild the damage done by whatever catastrophe has struck the unfortunates. There would be no need to rely on the generosity of gifts by the general public or Aid Agencies, nor governments to donate huge sums at a time when they may have concerns at home that need attention, like the current recession.

To many this will seem like a crackpot idea, and I realise that such an undertaking would require an enormous amount of work, planning, and above all co-operation between countries, but is it outside our capabilities? No I think not! If we are truly intent on relieving the suffering in the world when a catastrophe strikes, we can do it. Such natural disasters transcend petty disputes between nations and could affect us all at some time in the future. No country can hold up it’s hand and say it will never happen to us.

The human race is undoubtedly changing the world, and scientists say not for the better. They predict that we will experience more and more natural disasters in the years to come, and who can say with a certainty they are wrong? For this reason we should do all we can to be prepared. This is one way we can do that.

Britain has been rocked this last week hearing in graphic detail what happened when two young boys, aged 10 and 11, carried out one of the most sadistic crimes by a juvenile ever recorded. The two were accused of a prolonged 90 minute attack on two young boys of 9 and 11 last April when they battered, strangled, and violated them because they were bored and had ‘nothing else to do’. The only reason they stopped, was because their ‘arms were tired’ from the continuous savagery.

For a full hour and a half, they cut their victims with barbed wire, throttled them with a cable, covered them with a burning plastic sheet, stubbed out a cigarette in an open wound after battering them with rocks and branches, and jumped, kicked and punched them in an orgy of violence. As if this was not enough, they forced the elder boy to strip from the waist down and carry out a sexual act on the 9 year old. The younger of the two brothers even used a mobile phone belonging to the 11 year old victim and video recorded part of the attack. You really couldn’t make this up if it were a horror movie.

Today the pair were sentenced by Judge, Mr. Justice Keith, to be detained ‘indefinitely’, serving a minimum of five years. Stating that the two ‘posed a very high risk of serious harm to others’, he added that he hoped the family of the victims would ‘appreciate that five years is the very least they would serve’. From the court artists sketch it is clear the brothers showed little interest in the court proceedings, and felt no remorse for what they had done.

I for one, would not consider that a tenth of what they should serve, but you can bet your last dollar that in five years or less they will be considered for parole by some ‘limp wristed git’ who feels sorry for them. By then they will be just 16 and 17 years old.

During the trial, a Child Protection Expert told the judge the younger brother in particular ‘was a very high risk to the community’, and also ‘at risk of becoming a seriously disturbed psychopathic offender’.

Much was said during the trial of their home life, which included a violent alcoholic father who grew cannabis on his allotment and allowed them to drink vodka at age six, and an uncaring mother who put the drug into the boys food and drink so they would sleep and give her a quiet time. She also left them alone in the house when they were five or six to watch horror movies like ‘Saw’ and ‘Chucky’, considered too violent even by most grown ups. The younger brother also had access to his fathers DVD collection of pornographic material, smoked cannabis and drank alcohol at home.

One of the most sickening parts to the whole affair is that the family was well known to Social Services and the Police as one of malcontents who were totally out of control. It is a pity this knowledge did not prevent the eventual savage attack that took place. As things now stand, nine months after the attack, both the victims are psychologically scarred, the younger one perhaps for life. For this the British Justice System hands down a sentence of a ‘minimum of five years detention’.

It will not be long before the ‘Goody Goody Brigade’ try to convince us the two sadists are ‘reformed characters’, have ‘learnt their lesson’, and are fit to be released back into society at the tender age of 16 and 17.

If that happens, all I can say is watch out for the newspaper headlines when these two savages kill someone in another sadistic attack soon after release. Their arms will not grow tired too quickly then. Britain is breeding a generation of monsters the like of which has never been seen before.

To me it is long past time we brought back the death penalty.

Roy.

Latest news hot off the press.

It would seem from the latest news stories that the two just sentenced will be allowed out of prison in four years time to do their GCSE Exams, and to top that, when they are released they will be given new identities and live in anonymity at the tax payers expense. Can you believe this? It really is too bizarre!

More heartening news comes from the Police who have said the parents of the two brothers could well be facing charges of child neglect after an investigation.

Social Services have yet again been heavily criticised for not doing enough to solve the problems surrounding the family. It would seem a minimum of 31 chances were missed by the government department to intervene. Where have we heard that before? Some things never change!

Yahoo’s editor has posed the question in his column: Should the UK reintroduce national service in the Armed Forces? In the last decade Britain’s youth has become the most savage on the planet, and it is clear that neither government policies, nor the intervention of all the ‘limp wristed’ Goody Goodies have made an iota of difference. The British justice system is in tatters, with the courts incapable of handing out proper sentences for crimes committed by youths because the prisons are overcrowded or the Law considers them too young. The best the Government and Courts have been able to come up with is the infamous ASBO or Anti-Social Behaviour Order, which only places certain restrictions on them. These have become so ineffectual that they are viewed by most toe-rags as a badge of honour and are completely ignored anyway.

So what is the answer? Is the reintroduction of national service the solution to sorting out these malcontents once and for all? In short, I think the answer is yes, but not as we have known it in the past.

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Greece have all reintroduced national service successfully to combat youth crime and the ‘yob’ culture. So why not Britain?

Comments on the news column show that many people are afraid their loved ones, once committed to national service, could end up in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and this fact is turning people away from the idea. To make this work a compromise is needed.

It has been suggested that young criminals be given the choice of jail time or serving in the army, with repeat offenders having the choice removed and being committed to serve a fixed term. This could work in some cases but not all. The compromise suggested earlier would mean that young offenders be given the assurance they would not be sent to a war zone during their period of sentence. That takes care of parents concerns.

But what of the time spent in the Army? David Cameron of the Tory Party has suggested a non-obligatory period of six weeks for all 16 year olds, note the non-obligatory! Six weeks could never provide the necessary deterrent with violent youth because just as the malcontents got used to the idea they would be free with insufficient time to learn anything useful. Young criminals would need to spend a minimum of nine months in the loving bosom of the Army before any sort of character changes could manifest themselves. Within that time, it is fairly certain the constant application of strict discipline could begin to change the way these people think of themselves, and their place in society.

Each ‘soldier’ could in that time be fairly accurately judged by their instructors as to whether they are fit to re-enter society. If they are deemed not to have learnt anything they stay in until they have. Simple.

But what of the army? What could they do with all these nasty individuals? We are constantly hearing the army is under-manned and there is insufficient manpower to fight two wars, i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan. I am sure that handing over some of the UK Base tasks to the criminal element after sufficient training, would make more manpower available for the front from our volunteer army. But what jobs? Well, how about Transport, Administration, Security, Supply and Catering just to quote some examples. These are jobs that do not require intensive long drawn out training and could be done by many criminals. The added advantage is it would teach them a trade for use when they are released.

So how could you be sure those working in ‘Supply’ for example, (thinking they have been handed a golden opportunity to make some money on the sly) don’t start selling army property behind everyone’s back? Well, after finishing their ‘Basic Training’ and before any of them start becoming productive, they should be given a guided tour of the the National Military Detention Centre at Colchester. Just the sight of what goes on in that military prison will scare the pants off them. Normal prisons are holiday camps by comparison (well, come to think of it, they are anyway). After all, why should they not be subject to military justice while serving their sentence? If they do not break the rules they have nothing to fear.

There would of course need to be one major change to army thinking. The new ‘softly softly’ attitude to recruits would have to go out the window for the detainees. A soft hand with them would make the whole exercise a wasted effort. They need the iron fist to instil the normal attitudes of decency, respect and responsibility that the rest of us take for granted. There are more than enough drill instructors who would love to put these misfits through the hoop.

The hard cases will only respond to men who are tougher and stronger than they are, and in any army drill instructor they will meet their match. It’s the story of the ages; power respects power! I am sure any low-life who thinks he is tough will soon wilt when he is doing a ten mile run through the Cairngorms in pouring rain with a 30lb pack and an Army instructor yelling at his heels.

I am no psychologist, but I am fairly sure that nine months of army training will make for a more mature and responsible citizen. Once these young people have finished their ‘sentence’ they could be given the choice of staying in.

Some readers may now be thinking they have found a flaw in my plan, because many of the youth criminals today are as young as 10 and 11 years old. Does that matter? Naturally, there are ways to downscale the action plan to cover these junior horrors. Many of them think they are tough anyway, and their age is no reason to go soft on them because they are only 10 years old. If they are old enough to commit murder, as many have, they are old enough for a taste of junior army life.

One concession to their age could be made by making them do only six months instead of nine months or a year. No! Young as they are, they can still turn out for inspection and parade at 06.00hrs every morning just like army recruits. If they spend the day learning to march, to keep themselves and their environment clean plus continuing their education under strict supervision they are sure to learn the error of their ways. Many of the normal infantry training tactics used in the army today such as physical education and assault courses, scaled to fit the trainees of course, would be a benefit in teaching them to work as a team, to help and respect each other. After all, if it can work in other countries, why not Britain?

There will always be the few hard cases who think they are tougher than the system, and some will run away because after all, an army camp is not a prison. But that’s OK, 48 hours in a real army prison will soon make them realise that co-operation is the best way out, and 48 hours is all it will take.

All this would place a burden on the army, and would be expensive to set up, but consider this! In the medium to long term, how much government money would be saved by getting these criminals off the streets, along with the eventual major reduction in the crime rates across the country? I am well aware that the Upper Brass of the Army has already said it is against the idea of the army being used as a sort of ‘prison service’, but what other effective solution is there. I am sure that with the proper organization this whole plan could be made to benefit the Army in many ways.

Life in the army can be hard, and training would be structured such that we would eventually get back to the situation where criminals, once they have been through the mill, will not return to crime for fear of having to go through it all again. As in the old days, the only way to fight perpetual crime is to make the punishment such that criminals will not wish to subject themselves to it again.

Say what you will, but the best deterrent for crime is the fear of punishment.

The days when a youth can commit murder and get away with it because of his/her age has to end. Only then can we all live in peace and without fear of a group of youths hanging around on a street corner. It is time we stopped being soft on criminals or we will end up with total anarchy.

Health and Safety, implemented to improve safety standards and working practices, has ended up a sordid mess. New rules are being introduced arbitrarily by over-zealous individuals, who think they are doing the right thing, but are in reality making a mockery of the rules, and turning peoples lives into hell.

A power company, supplying large areas of Scotland, recently introduced new ‘H&S’ regulations for its staff. From now, all car drivers must reverse into parking spaces, and all people using the stairs must use the handrail. Disciplinary action will be taken against violators! Typical of someone’s idea that they can implement regulations in the name of H&S for their idea of the ‘common good’.

Among the more ridiculous interpretations of the rules these days is the case of an Old Age Pensioner George Pretty (72). He made a weekly run to the local fish and chip shop to get meals for the OAP’s in the home he was in. He had been doing it for years, until some erstwhile Housing Warden told him he must stop because he did not have an insulated box to carry the meals in, and this was against H&S rules.

The Midlothian Council, again in Scotland, has been leaving all the lights on at night in a high school abandoned for the past seven years. The reason, vandals entering the property might injure themselves. According to a spokesman, they have a duty to do this because as owners of the property they can be sued if someone hurts themselves after entering the premises illegally.

Two regional BBC Show presenters wanted to do a trial on their programme to see who could change the wheel of a car the quickest. To satisfy H&S a mechanic was called in to do a risk assessment, and eventually the producer decided the trial could not go ahead unless a paramedic was standing by. Does this mean that should you ever suffer a puncture at any time, you must call an ambulance before you can change the wheel?

It would seem that even bar staff are allowed to interpret the H&S laws as they see fit. In March last year a woman, 26 weeks pregnant, was having a rare pint of lager with friends in a pub when she was asked if she would like another half. Having already decided that would be her limit, she was shocked to hear the bar-woman refuse to give the friend her drink because she was pregnant. She let it go without a fuss, but a little later, took a sip from a friends glass at which point the assistant manageress marched over and told her and her friends to leave the premises immediately because as a pregnant woman she should not be drinking alcohol. A blatant display of her using her limited powers to force her opinion of pregnant women and alcohol onto the unfortunate woman. To their credit, the brewery did offer the woman and her friends a full apology. As to the ‘SS’ managerial assistant, who knows, but I hope she never gets to be a manager.

For 43 years, 63 year-old Graham Alexander has cut the grass of the large roadside verge outside his house, until recently that is. He has now been told by Wiltshire Council that he must leave it for the contractors, because he is “endangering himself and others and could be hurt by the mower or flying debris.” Should he continue he will be prosecuted.

This sort of insanity is not solely restricted to private individuals, it can affect government institutions too. The British Coast-guard Service have done valuable work around the shores of Britain for hundreds of years, rescuing sailors and civilians alike when they get into trouble. Ever since the First World War they have been using flares fired from a flare pistol to illuminate large areas during a search for people or ships. Now they are forbidden for H&S reasons. The official view is that infra-red cameras, night vision goggles and spotlights have made the flares redundant. The Coast-guard do not agree, and still use them when necessary.

Isn’t it amazing how people and times change, and how pathetic some people can be? To be fair, part of the reason for institutions taking the stance they do, is the rampant ‘compensation’ culture rife in Britain for the past twenty years. You can be sued by someone who breaks a nail while typing on your computer for example, or even by a burglar who gets hurt while breaking into your house. Crazy Huh!

It makes me wonder who the insane ones really are, those in the rubber rooms looking out or those on the outside looking in!

Keep smiling – it ain’t over yet!

Roy.

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Roy Peters

Welcome to News, Views and Nonsense.

Hi, and welcome!
I can hardly believe this blog is now more than five years old, for it seems like only yesterday when I took my first hesitant steps. A lot has happened in that time, and I must say it has been a great pleasure to write about, and discuss with visitors all the momentous happenings around the world.
Whether you are a frequent visitor, or someone who just dropped by, I hope you will come back, for you are always welcome.

Now that I am a 'Gentleman of Leisure' I have time to indulge in my hobby of writing short stories. I do it for my own pleasure and not for accolades. Although I recently had offers to publish some of them, I found the cost of publication far too much and unfortunately had to decline.
PLEASE NOTE: The stories have now been removed from my blog and published on Amazon for Kindle readers.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ARE ON KINDLE ARE: No Time For Mourning - A day in the life of Battle Of Britain Squadron.
Flight of the Rusty Bucket - A bomber crew take on a dangerous raid over Germany.
The Will To Survive - The desperate struggle for survival on a contaminated Earth in 2050.
Rescue Mission. A sequel to The Will To Survive. Our hero, along with two companions, undertakes a dangerous rescue mission.
Escape from the Taliban - An SAS team are captured and must escape a vicious Taliban leader.
The Sinking of the Rodney Star - The desperate days of WW2 Atlantic convoys.
Deadly Duel - The massacre of American troops in the Ardenne
Strike By Night - Commando raid just after D-Day 1944
Code-name Falcon - A WW2 French resistance story
Hell's Valley - The continuing battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Lifeboat - The crew of a sunken WW2 convoy vessel fight to survive the merciless Atlantic ocean.
A Refugee's Story - The desperate journey of hope for a Somalian refugee.
Secret of the Golden Sphinx - Murder and intrigue in Ancient Egypt.
Alien City - Two young people stumble upon a secret alien city.
They cost only $0.99 or equivalent so feel free to browse on the Kindle Store webpage.
Roy.

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